Cherry Blossoms Dance and Sparrows Sing
by Halo Van Helsing
Summary: I'll probably never finish this fic, but hey I'm having fun writing it. Just a fun story, relationship problems described hopefully in an enjoyable way. And lots of...Fun. You can interpret that any way you want to. Please review, and have fun. Mufuu
1. Ichi

Disclaimer: I do not under any circumstances own Samurai Champloo. I don't even own the DVD; I "borrowed" it from my brother's friend. Indefinitely.

Notes: This is my first Samurai Champloo fanfic, and I decided to start it off with a bang. Hope you like! Please review I need constructive criticism.

Chapter One

"Mugen!"

It was nothing unusual for her to scream his name, it happened all the time when she got into trouble, which was often. But this time it was different. This time it was drawn out in ecstasy. He loved the way his name sounded coming from her sweet lips. He loved the way she writhed beneath him. And, God, how he loved the way she dug her fingers into his mass of unruly hair drawing him closer.

She gasped, arching her back, and a slow smile spread across his wild features. He wanted to tell her these things; he wanted to tell her how happy it made him to make her happy. But he didn't. Instead he let out a low grunt and rolled off her and onto his back. She let go of his hair reluctantly, her breathing labored. He listened to her let out an enraptured sigh as he placed his entwined fingers behind his head.

"Mugen?" she asked, when she had calmed.

"Mhm." He replied his eyes closed nonchalantly.

"You're not just going to go to sleep right now are you…?"

"Mhm."

"You jerk." She breathed this out only half-heartedly.

A grin spread across his face as turned on his side to face her. He let his tanned fingers play across her pale, flat stomach. He flattened his palm against her flesh enjoying the soft quiver that erupted under his hand. He pulled himself up onto one bony elbow, keeping his hand on her skin, and gently placed his lips on hers.

"Mugen…" her lips moved beneath his.

"What." His hand moved upward from her stomach.

"Do you ever think…you know…that maybe we should have looked for Jin?"

"Shit…you're thinking about him right now?" He pulled away, his gray eyes becoming stormy. He stood, searching for his clothing on the tatami mats.

Fuu propped herself on her elbows and reached for her kimono. She turned just in time to see the ex-pirate pull his gi top over his head. "I just…you know. Feel guilty about not looking for him after we met up. You've never thought about him?"

"I make it a rule not to think about other guys when I'm screwing a girl." He said. He was angry, and though he refused to admit it his pride had been hurt.

Fuu persisted, ignoring the remark. "Don't you think we should go looking for him?" She tied the sash on her obi and rose from the futon. She was pulling her hair back into the usual knot and securing it with her sticks, as she watched him slip into his haori and adjust his sword's position.

"Where the hell do you suggest we look first? He could be anywhere for all you know."

Tears sparkled at her eyes and clung to her lashes. '_Oh, God, don't let her cry' _was all Mugen could think. He hated it when she cried, almost as much as when she nagged. His face contorted between a smirk and a look of panic, making her suddenly glare and sniff. Why did she care so much about dojo-boy anyway? He was probably better off than they were. But it wouldn't hurt to find out, right?

"Fine. We'll look for him." He said roughly, scratching the stubble on his chin "Maybe he'll actually have some money."


	2. Ni

Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Champloo.

Notes: Alright I know the story is lame but work with me. Hopefully it'll it get better with practice.

Chapter Two

Water fell from the cloudy sky in a cold drizzle. The sun had just slipped past the horizon by the time the man had arrived in front of the teahouse that sat just within the borders of town. He stood in the street staring up at the sign that hung above the door. Wind chimes twinkled from above, set dancing by the light breeze. The man reached up, adjusting his glass spectacles with a long, pale finger. Footsteps could be heard coming from within the teahouse. A woman appeared preparing to light the lanterns at the entrance, she stopped when she saw the lone samurai.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid all our regular geisha have been called to other appointments. You shall have to look somewhere else if you wish to be entertained tonight."

The man was silent a moment his eyes trying to focus on her face in the dark. She was silhouetted against the warm glow that came from with the teahouse. "It wouldn't matter anyway. I have no money." His deep, calm voice crossed the distance between them, and he heard her give a little laugh.

"A beggar then?" She lit the lantern and he was finally able to see the smile that graced her face. "I suppose you're hungry then? Come inside, I'll find you something."

"I said I have no money."

"I said I have no geisha. It's slow tonight, keep me company and I'll feed you."

He studied her quietly. She wore a simple blue and red kimono patterned with thin stripes. To the untrained eye it might have appeared to be servants garb, but Jin realized it was constructed of expensive materials. Her silky black hair was pulled back into a traditional style, ornamented with a mother-of-pearl comb. She gestured for him to come in, waving delicate looking hands. He stepped forward cautiously at first but found he had to increase his pace in order to keep track of her as she led him into the tea house.

"Would you prefer tea or sake?" the woman asked, sliding a decorated screen back to reveal an enticing room.

"Sake, thank you." He glanced at her face before she helped him remove the damp kimono he wore over his gi top and handed it over to a servant that had appeared at her side. Her face was oval shaped, with soft angles, the eyes a dark brown framed by full lashes. The servant bowed towards the woman before hurrying away. Jin followed the woman into the room and sat seiza style before the low table.

"Tell me your name." He asked quietly.

"I go by Suzume." She replied, sitting beside him, her voice cheery. "I once had another name but that is long forgotten."

The food arrived; steam rose from the piled high dishes of dumplings, rice, and various meats. Suzume reached for a glass and jug of sake, lifting her kimono sleeve a couple inches to reveal the underside of her wrist as she poured it. Jin stared down at the pale skin, not only noticing the expert way she held her hand, but also the many pink fleshed scars the riddled her hands and knuckles. She set down the jug and set the kimono back into place with a flick of her wrist. As he lifted his gaze he met her own stare. Her lashes hooded her eyes as she laughed lightly. Anyone else might not have caught the way her body had tensed when she caught his observance.

"I was not always the Madame of a tea house." She said, sliding his sake towards him. He had recognized the scars as blade cuts, but did not question her. He felt for his swords, and when assured they were at his side, picked up the cup and sipped the fiery substance.

"I once worked as a body guard." She said compensating for the silence that had stretched between them. She prepared a plate for him talking at the same time. "I protected a young nobleman while I was disguised as a geisha."

Jin was silent, simply watching her and contemplating her words.

"It was rather hard to learn the arts of entertaining and war at the same time." She set the plate before him and handed him chopsticks. "I traveled with the young man everywhere, and grew to know him very well." She hesitated eyes vacantly staring ahead of her.

"Then why are you here, an owner of a teahouse and not a body guard." Jin's voice was soft as he asked.

"I failed as guard, and all I had left was entertaining." She looked down at her pale hands, folded in her lap and laughed. "I failed."


	3. san

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Samurai Champloo, I only own my imagination.

Notes: Okay this is a short chapter; I was hoping to warm up with this one before really diving into their relationship. Tell me what you think. Oh and in the last chapter I had a note about Suzume's name and the title. I took the name from a Japanese fairy tale about a sparrow, and as far as I know Suzume means sparrow, so correct me if I'm wrong. The title will play in later hopefully.

Chapter Three

The sun rose over the treetops, playing across the water-laden clouds and damp air in an array of colors. The morning was comfortably cool, the surroundings a bright spring green. The two had already been walking for over an hour on the dirt path leading out of town. Metal and stone made an odd clanking sound as they struck together, but Mugen didn't care. The sound of his geta on the gravel wasn't enough to drown out Fuu's ceaseless nagging.

"Do you think he went to find Shino? Because if he did than we should probably look in Edo. Mugen? Mugen!"

Did she ever run out of breath? He was walking at a lazy pace slightly ahead of her, his hands at the back of his head, his eyes half closed and staring onwards. She'd been talking since they'd left, and frankly, he was getting sick of it.

Fuu ignored his lack of interest and kept talking. Her arms swung at her side relaxed, her dark brown hair bounced with the motion of her steps. She didn't get it, did he really not want to go find Jin? When they had all parted ways she thought there was a feeling of brotherhood between the two, but maybe she was wrong. It felt so awkward not having the familiar silent figure by her side, she missed his 'nhn's and his 'uh's.

Mugen looked back only when he realized that she had become silent. By the look on her face she was deep in thought. Mugen half smiled, half smirked. She always got a funny look in her face if she tried to concentrate on something. It was weird, but those funny little quirks were what he had missed most about her when they parted. He had a funny tingling feeling deep in his gut; it wasn't the usual feeling of lust. This was different, and it only took him a few seconds to realize he was grinning like an idiot.

"What?" Fuu's irritatingly sweet voice broke through his thoughts.

"Huh…? Nothing." He faced forward again, dropping his arms to his sides.

"I'm hungry." She whined, her stomach growling audibly.

"Well, unless you got money, we ain't stopping." He ignored the groan that erupted behind him and trudged on, the sun at their backs as they headed west.


	4. Shi

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo.

Notes: Okay, I've been out of the country for the last two weeks, and before that was too freaked out to write this chapter. Yes, I know this chapter is lame but get over it; the entire story is going to be lame.

Chapter Four 

"Excuse me." The soft voice startled the serving girl lighting the lamps at the teahouse's entrance. She looked up, arm half raised, the flame in her hand flickering in the soft breeze.

"May I help you?" She continued her work when she recognized him, hiding her blush. He was the samurai from last night. The lamplight reflected off his glass spectacles and the polished scabbard at his hip. "The Mistress is entertaining tonight." She said simply, turning to walk away. "But I can tell her you stopped by."

"I'll wait." She dropped the lamp letting out a small screech, watching as if in slow motion as it fell. Long pale fingers caught the light with ease, as she turned to glare at him. He had moved so silently she hadn't realized he was behind her before he spoke.

Tinted lanterns cast an orange glow through the closed paper doors that Hatsue stopped in front of. She pushed the screen back a fractional, peeking through the slit. A young apprentice geisha posed in front of a group of men, hands delicately holding a pair of decorated fans. Slowly shamisen music filled the air and the young geisha started to twirl and throw her fans, her eyes not leaving the audience before her. Hatsue's drifted to the geisha playing the shamisen. Suzume sat seiza style behind the younger geisha with the fans, her fingers moving skillfully over the strings of the instrument. Hatsue shifted uncomfortably, and looking back at the quiet man behind her.

She shrugged "She's busy."

He stared back at her, making it obvious he didn't plan to leave. She frowned and turned back to watch the rest of the geisha's performance. As the apprentice went to make the final flourish of the dance she stumbled and dropped a fan. The men watching her laughed heartily, as the geisha bent to pick up the fan, hiding a blush behind her kimono sleeve.

Suzume looked up, a slow smile playing across her bare features. After setting her shamisen aside she stood, placing a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulder. She playfully scolded the men "You should have seen the mistakes I made on my first night!" she suddenly clasped a hand over her mouth at the double meaning of her statement, smiling at the men's laughter.

The samurai seated before her urged her to tell the story but she blushed, her eyes drifting to the doorway where Hatsue and Jin spied and shook her head flirtatiously. "Another time."

The other geisha in the room took over the entertainment after she left, and conversation continued. She pulled the screen back and stepped through, eyeing Hatsue curiously before seeing Jin. She sighed in a tired way and began to walk away. He had been here every day for the past two days, and every day she'd told him the same thing. _We're only serving paying customers today_. She turned to say it again but was stopped when he held out 3 gold ryo. She crossed her arms in front of her chest with a soft rustle of silk. The kimono she wore today was much more decorative. Orange, white and black koi swam over the azure blue cloth. An orange and dark blue obi, black polished geta and mother of pearl hair ornaments completed her expensive outfit. The man's eyes were focused on her face however, devoid of makeup but attractive just the same.

"Set up a room for this man and let him pick a few geisha." She turned to leave, but felt a strong hand on her arm. Her reaction was quick, her fingers flying to the ronin's hand and moving it towards the nikyu wristlock. It surprised her when he was fast enough to evade her grip and force her own hand into a locked position.

"I meant to be entertained by you." He said coldly.

She smiled deceptively, hissing through her teeth. "I normally only entertain on special occasions."

He dropped her hand. "Fine." He said quietly, turning to leave.

"But I suppose I'll make an exception." She sighed.

The samurai smiled, his back turned to her. A slow, victorious, perhaps even smug smile.


End file.
